Posts Tagged ‘with autistic’

Working with children on the autistic spectrum within the classroom can be challenging as well as quite stressful.

Students with autistic spectrum are typically more likely to need support within the classroom environment as well throughout the school day. The individual on the spectrum will display the triad of autistic deficits set out below:

Social deficits.

Communication deficits.

Imagination and interaction deficits.

Autism is one of the pervasive developmental disorders. The spectrum ranges from low functioning autism where the student will need special needs education, may be non-verbal and have specific learning disabilities.

To high functioning autism or aspergers syndrome; where the child may need support within the classroom but is capable of inclusion in mainstream education.

Students with high functioning autism or aspergers syndrome as it is sometimes called will have an average to above average IQ.

Children on the autistic spectrum typically have difficulties with making and maintaining friendships and find starting or taking part in conversations or discussions difficult.

The education of students with autistic spectrum is made harder due to student communication, imagination and interpretation impairments. They will have trouble understanding imaginative and interactive lessons.

The student on the spectrum will think and talk literally, and have little understanding of facial expressions or body language. They will not understand sarcasm, pun’s or jokes. Children on the autistic spectrum are often referred to as “locked in their own world”.

Therefore educating children on the autistic spectrum needs careful thought and planning. Keep structure and timetables as rigid as possible. The student on the spectrum will respond well to routines and could become very confused, stressed and anxious when routines are changed or broken, try to avoid this where possible and if you find you need to alter a routine, try and give the student on the spectrum plenty of warnings.

You can use autism social stories for this. Recent research suggests children on the autistic spectrum like using autism socialstories, and respond well when autism social stories have been implemented.

Children with autism will often interrupt lessons inappropriately and be unable to interpret any cues that such interruptions are unwelcome.

Using autism social stories can HELP to stop this behavior by teaching the student on the autistic spectrum class rules and appropriate classroom behavior. As well as being used to keep the student on track during lessons.

Autism social stories can also be implemented for lunchtimes, break times, toilet break, timeouts, home time, assembly in fact all situations surrounding the school day; making educating children with autism less stressful.

For download of autism social stories to help in the classroom and at school in general visit:

Research shows there has been an increase in the recognition and diagnosis of the Symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder in children.

Each child with autistic spectrum is different and the degree of Symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder will vary from child to child.

However all children with autism will normally present the following Symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder:

Communication problems

Social interaction problems

Behavior issues

It is also true that some children with autism AREvery sensitive to their environment. For example; bright light, noises even background noise, smell, the feel of some materials all these and more are all too much for some children with autism to bare.

Sometimes within the classroom a child with autistic spectrum can be viewed by their normally developing peers as “odd”, which can lead to social isolation and sometimes even bullying.

Within the autism classroom there are some areas you may well want to consider before the child with autistic spectrum begins:

First within the autism classroom…it is important to remember children on the autistic spectrum are visual learners, therefore visual prompts as to lessons timetables etc…are an important consideration.

A visual timetable…will give clear precise instructions and structure as to what is expected lessons/activities throughout the day.

Try and keep changes to routines or lessons to a minimal. Children on the autistic spectrum do not like changes and can become distressed. If possible tell your student with autism in advance of any possible changes, to give them plenty of warning. Springing a change on a student with autism should wherever possible be avoided.

It would be a good idea to consider within the autism classroom a “Time out” or “Quiet spot” for use by the student with autism when necessary it would be a good idea to avoid your other students using this space if your autistic student is in it for quiet time or time out

It is important also to remember a child with autistic spectrum WILL NOT read facial expressions or body language. So avoid the obvious, frown or the “shhh”. Children with autism will seldom understand jokes or subtle hints and clues. You will need to think literal.

Your student with autism may also NOT interpret themselves as “included” when you address the class, so it is well to remember to address them by name. The “everybody” or “everyone” phrases may well get lost, and the autistic student will not naturally think that includes them.

Try using visual lesson prompts and clues during lessons, children with autism respond better to visual lesson prompts.

Use autism social skillsstories during the school day for all occasions where the student with autism is struggling or does not understand, for example recess, lunchtime even P.E.

These are excellent visual prompts, autism social skills stories provide clear structure to situations, like art lessons, music lessons, reading, quiet time and more, the social story is designed as a support for the student on the autistic spectrum.

As well as being visual the social story will have text that can be shared with the autistic student allowing them to understand what is expected of them as well as what they can expect from others etc….again a clear structured method helping support the student on the autistic spectrum.

Be clear but firm on school rules, you can again use autism social skills stories to explain school rules and why they need to be followed as well as the consequence of not following rules.

You can also help support the student with autism by talking to other member’s of staff; explain what autism is, and how the behavior of a child with autistic spectrum will differ from that of a normally developing child.

Also explain what autism is to the other members of the autistic student’s class and peer group.

A child with autistic spectrum will not set out intentionally to cause stress or upset anybodies feelings. A child with autistic spectrum will not misbehave or harm simply out of fun or mischief.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder that affects the individual’s brain. Autism Spectrum Disorder affects the way the individual processes information, communicates, uses language, thinks, acts, reacts and uses their imagination. These common characteristics of autism are called social skills deficits.

The common characteristics of autism will often make a child with autism appear rude, aloof even arrogant at times. However this is not intentional, an individual with autism spectrum disorder will be brutally honest and say as they see it, be uninterested in appearing cool and oblivious to public opinion.

These are not bad characteristics, just difficult to understand. However for parents with children on the spectrum these common characteristics of autism can make life extremely difficult and at times stressful.

Approaches for teaching children with autism social and communication skills and behaviours are useful, research does suggest parents report significant improvements in social behaviours.

Having the ability to socially interact and communicate both verbally and nonverbally is a naturally learnt ability in typically developing beings. These skills however are missing in children on the spectrum and need to be taught directly.

Using approaches for teaching children with autism such as autism social stories does show vast improvements in social and communication skills. Autism social stories are short descriptive stories like a social script or framework for the skills or behaviour needing to be taught.

Using visual images which most autistic people find easier to understand and first person text the social story breaks the skill down into relevant social cues and shows the individual with autism spectrum disorder what to expect and what others will expect from them.

Answering the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as offering an insight into the verbal and non verbal communications of others, social skills stories can help support as well as teach social and communications skills, thus reducing stress and inappropriate behaviours.

Autism Spectrum Disorder social skills stories were first developed around twenty years ago as a method for teaching and communicating with individuals on the spectrum.

They were developed to aid communication in both verbal and nonverbal autistics, the goal being that individuals on the autism spectrum were able to use the Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism Social Skills Stories as a tool to help them clarify and understand information and directions.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism Social Skills Stories provide the child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder explanations and possible behavior suggestions for situations, skills and behaviors that they may find difficult or confusing.

Used effectively as a tool to teach social and communication skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder theautistic social skills story uses visual cues to show the child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder what is expected of them as well as what they can expect from others.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder have social skills impairments which make social and communication skills difficult to master.

ASD social skills stories therefore help to teach social and communication skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, visually almost like a comic strip script, the skill or behavior in terms of relative social cues and prompts making it easier for the child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder to understand the “wh” question (who, where, When, what and why)

Research shows us that teaching social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder is made easier when visual aids are used.

Consequently, parents with autistic children and teachers use visual tools such as social skills stories for teaching social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder. The social skills story is visually rich and is used much like a step by step visual plan detailing the skill being mastered.

Showing the child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder visually possible outcomes, giving focus to the key points, showing the child with autism spectrum disorderhow another person may re-act or feel in the situation by describing another’s point of view.

The autistic social skills story can also be used to help with routine changes, teaching skills and behaviors, explaining rules and so on…

ASD social skills stories use a specifically defined style and format. They are mainly written by experts in autism.

Many parents with autistic children, teachers as well as other professionals use social skills stories for autistic children to teach even the most basic social skills such as tooth brushing to complex social skills like attending a wedding, a birth even explaining how to make friends, have conversations, ask questions and more.

To download Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism Social Skills Stories for autistic children on a variety of issues visit any of the following sites:

Intervention strategies ARE mainly used to help OVERCOME the deficits and abnormal behaviours often displayed by children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder Interventions CAN help increase the quality of life as well as help the autistic child reach his / her full potential. Interventions ARE typically tailored to individual needs, for example a non-verbal autistic child may find PECS and picture cards more suitable, while a verbal autistic child may find social stories more beneficial.

Studies show that Intervention strategies ARE beneficiaul to ALL children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder once the correct strategy is in place. For the purpose of this article I am going to focus on social stories and communication picture cards.

Social stories ARE one of the most significant Intervention strategies that has been introduced over the last twenty years. The social story is a short almost comic like description of a skill or behaviour that is broken down in to smaller easier to understand sections.

For example: most children with autism struggle to hold and start conversations, this can have a knock on affect and the child may struggle to amke and maintain friendships. A social story can act as a visual framework or plan and break down the steps needed to approach and ask another child to play, reducing stress and anti-social behaviours.

A child with autism is typically a VISUAL learner, this means that they will find visual information easier to use, with speech / language as secondary, thus social stories ARE commonly VISUAL.

Using visual images / pictures the social story answers the “wh” questions - who, what, where, when and whay as well as “HOW” and will give an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most children with autism.

Characteristically social stories ARE written in first person text and will always be from the autisic childs own perspective. The social story should be editable and easy to personalize as no two individuals will ever be the same and we all use different terminology with our own child.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder Interventions like communication picture cards (flash cards) ARE typically used to help with communication difficulties. For example a non-verbal autistic child can have a selection of communication picture cards enabling them to communicate their own needs. At snack time the child may wish to have an apple for example so will give the teacher the card showing an apple in return for the card the teacher will give the child the apple and so on…

The communication picture cards can have a variety of uses - on visual timetable, now and next boards, choices boards, displayed around the home and classroom as a reminder for example of where the toilet is, coat pegs and so on. The communication picture cards ARE also used for communication the teacher can show the child with autism what is expected of them for example - recess, assembley etc by pointing to a picture card, giving the child a gentle prompt as to what is happening or about to happen, again reducing stress and confusion.

Research
does suggest that the increase in recognizing the autistic spectrum disorder signs and symptoms in children, and
diagnosis of Autism spectrum syndrome
has increased.

As
with typically developing children, each
child on the spectrum is different. And the degree and complexity of autistic symptoms will vary from child to
child.

However
all children with autistic spectrum
disorder will generally display the following autistic signs and symptoms:

Communication problems

Social interaction problems

Imagination difficulties

Behavior issues

It
is also apparent that many children with autism spectrum can also be very sensitive to their environment; you
may hear this referred to as sensory processing issues in autism.

For
example sensory processing issues in autism may affect one or all of the senses;
bright light, noises even background noises, smell, the feel of some materials
and so are all too much to bare for some children with autism spectrum.

Sometimes
within the mainstream classroom an
autistic child can be viewed by their normally developing peers as “odd or
weird”, which can lead to social isolationand sometimes even bullying.

For
teachers of children with special needs, some possible considerations for the autism classroom should include visual
intervention strategies.

First
within the autism classroom…it is
important to remember that an autistic child
is more likely to be a visual learner. Consequently, visual intervention
strategies are important, for example a visual timetable, visual support cards,
social stories and so on…

A visual timetable…will provide a child on
the spectrum with a clear precise instructions and structure as to what is
expected lessons/activities throughout the day.

Try and keep changes to routines or
lessons to a minimal,
children with autistic spectrum disorder do not like changes.

If
possible tell your autistic student
in advance of any possible changes, to give them plenty of warning. Springing a
change on an autistic student should wherever possible be avoided.

It
would be a good idea to consider within the autism classroom a “Time out” or “Quiet spot” for use by
the autistic student when necessary. Try to avoid other children in the class
using this space if your autistic student is in there!

It is also important to remember that
children with autism spectrum do not read facial expressions or body language. So avoid the obvious,
frown or the “shhh”. Children with autism spectrum will not be able to read
these signs.

It
is also important to remember a child on the spectrum will not understand jokes
or subtle hints and clues. You will need to think literal.

Yourautistic student may also not
interpret themselves as included when you address the class, so it is well to
remember to address them by name. The “everybody”
or “everyone” phrases may well get lost, and the student with autism will not
naturally think that includes them.

Try
using visual intervention strategies and
clues during lessons, children with autism respond better to visual lesson
prompts.

Try
using autism social skillsstories during the school day for all
occasions the autistic student is struggling with, for example PE, assembly,
asking questions, recess and so on…

Visual prompts such as autism social
skills stories provide clear structure
to situations, skills, behaviors and transitions. The social story can act
like a role model or visual plan to help support
the student with autism.

As
well as being visual autism social skills stories also have text that can be shared
with the child on the spectrum allowing
them to understand what is expected
of them as well as what they can expect from others. The social story answers
the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW” and gives
an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area
of marked weakness in most children with autistic spectrum disorder.

Typically a child on the spectrum
will struggle to follow rules and engage in social activities; again a social story
can help overcome these difficulties.

Parents and teachers may
find it useful to explain what autism is to others before their child is labeled
“odd or weird”. Although a diagnosis of
Autism spectrum syndrome is far more common today information about autism is
not common and many teachers find themselves inadequately prepared for
teaching a student with autism.

It can also be helpful
when explaining what autism is to
remember autism is a neurological disorder not a mental illness and affects how
the individual on the spectrum processes information, thinks and acts.

Treatments
for autism can help alleviate some of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder Signs and Symptoms

For more advice on what
autism is… and to download autism social
skills stories, and other visual intervention strategies such as visual support
cards visit:

Being a picky or fussy eater is not uncommon in typically developing children. But far more likely in children diagnosed with ASD (autistic spectrum disorders).

For most typically developing children picky eating is outgrown, but for children diagnosed with ASD their eating difficulties are often carried into adulthood.

Because eating difficulties with autistic children are quite often multi factorial it is advised that parents consult a dietician as well using other techniques to help encourage their autistic child to eat healthily and adopt better eating habits.

Many parents and dieticians use techniques such as social stories to help encourage positive eating habits in children with autism. Social skills stories are generally written by experts in autism and are used to help teach and encourage positive behaviours.

Social skills stories can encourage positive eating habits in children with autism by providing the child with a plan or visual framework which suggests and answers the “wh” questions (who, where, why, when and what) as well as giving the child an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others. Thus reducing any anxieties the child may feel.

Parents can use social stories for many different situations and skills, no formal training is needed to use social stories and various sites now offer downloads of appropriate social skills stories.